Coastal wetlands across the National Estuarine Research Reserve System provide a variety of essential habitats for migratory and threatened/endangered birds throughout the Pacific region. They are used by millions of birds each year to breed, rest, refuel, and overwinter. Human communities also value these areas for subsistence, cultural, commercial, and recreational activities. Despite the benefits they provide, estuarine habitats are being lost at accelerating rates.
To address this need, a one-year catalyst project connected geographically distinct reserves in the Pacific/Western United States with shared migratory bird species and a common interest in elevating the role of Indigenous Knowledge and management practices in coastal conservation. The project – whose team included five reserves, their local management and cultural partners, and Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture – explored applications and built on existing frameworks for weaving together conventional science and Indigenous Knowledge, research, and cultural values to enhance stewardship of estuarine habitats and coastal watersheds. In this webinar, project team members will share key workshop takeaways, project outcomes and ripple effects, and future plans to continue this work.
Speakers:
 | Laura Farwell, Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture Laura Farwell is the Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Science Coordinator for Pacific Birds. As a wildlife and landscape ecologist, her work focuses on region-wide planning, partnership development, and knowledge transfer to support effective and sustainable habitat conservation. As the Collaborative Lead on this project, Laura was responsible for engaging users by helping to develop and manage a process that ensured iteration with collaborators, including mechanisms for being adaptive and responsive to their input. |
 | Syverine Bentz, Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Syverine Bentz is the Coastal Training Program Coordinator at Kachemak Bay NERR in Alaska. Her work focuses on facilitating knowledge sharing and maintaining reciprocal relationships with Alaskan communities, local experts, agencies, and colleagues nationwide to help shape reserve priorities and connect resources to decision-makers. As a project team member, Syverine supported on-the-ground liaising with reserve staff and Indigenous community partners, and assisted the project team with enhancing opportunities for co-learning and co-development of methods, strategies, goals, and outcomes adaptable to local place, people, climate, resources, and needs. |
 | Roger Fuller, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Roger Fuller is the Natural Resource Coordinator at Padilla Bay NERR in Washington. He is a landscape ecologist with expertise in estuarine ecosystems, restoration ecology, climate change impacts and adaptation, and development of decision-support tools. As a project Team Member, he supported on-the-ground liaising with reserve staff and Indigenous community partners, and assisted the project team with enhancing opportunities for co-learning and co-development of methods, strategies, goals, and outcomes adaptable to local place, people, climate, resources, and needs. |